All opinions in Darryl’s blog are his own and may conflict with an official review published on Theaterscene.net.
A native New Yorker, Darryl Reilly graduated from NYU with a BFA in Cinema Studies. For the Broadway League, (formerly The League of American Theatres and Producers) he developed, and for five years conducted their Broadway Open House Tours, which took visitors through The Theatre District and into several Broadway theaters. He contributed to Broadway Musicals Show by Show: Sixth Edition (Applause Books). Since 2013, he has reviewed theater, cabaret, and concerts for Theaterscene.net.
Rich Little, belatedly making his New York stage debut in the role of Richard Nixon is the show’s magnetic anchor. Playwright George Bugatti crafts a wild scenario, meshing Allen Drury’s sense of political intrigue with Jules Feiffer’s absurdism. [more]
He died 20 years ago today at the age of 76. Why am I moved to note this anniversary? For the same reason I was compelled to see "Tribute" onstage. Viewing 1973’s "Save the Tiger" as a child in a second-run Bronx movie made me a Jack Lemmon admirer for life. [more]
During Mr. Reilly’s breezy segment his life, career and views on theater were discussed. The Bronx-born Reilly has been a critic for seven years, is a member of the Drama Desk and has a BFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. [more]
Grodin created his meta gag in 1973, which was that he was playing a snide and combative version of himself. He was so good at it that some audience members gasped at his rudeness and home viewers wrote in to complain at how nasty he was to Johnny Carson, who was in on the joke. [more]
Highlights of Ed Dixon’s sharp writing and grand acting inlcude joyous recreations of George Rose in My Fair Lady and The Pirates of Penzance, a sad mini portrait of Ray Walston and being transported to the NYC acting world when a Hell’s Kitchen apartment could be rented for $70 a month. [more]
“We have remained dear friends for 45 years, so I know the stories she has to tell. You’ll love this!” wrote Alex Trebek of Ruta Lee in his foreword. [more]
The HB Studio Facebook page thread about his death was filled with former students’ testimonials of his greatness. There was mention of a video of him on YouTube, it’s a revelation.
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Of course, there’s Wilde’s brilliance with his ingenious epigrams, the barbed skewering of the British class system and the precise plot. Most importantly, this glorious document preserves Brian Bedford magnificence. [more]
Cameron Cueva Clarke and Logan Alexis Troyer , each offer riveting performances energetically rendering the poignant complexities of their dysfunctional characters. Director Tyler Riley’s charged staging in concert with Mr. Clarke’s creative conceptual direction achieves a Brechtian dimension of distance. [more]
A distinguished local theater company’s pandemic-delayed revival of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” opens in January 2022, and there’s a novel raffle to fund it. [more]
NYC-based actor Connor Chase Stewart has founded a troupe which performs scenes from classic plays via Zoom as an artistic outlet during the pandemic. [more]
The great American actor died 20 years ago today at the age of 78. I became fascinated with him during his 1970’s consecutive Oscar-winning renaissance.
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Sam Fragoso, Gilbert Gottfried, Frank Santopadre and Studs Terkel’s broadcasts have provided me with entertainment and enlightenment during this pandemic. [more]
The atmosphere of a comedy club was replicated outside a NYC café at this Filipino-centric event held during the pandemic where polished comics entertained a masked audience. [more]
This Bronx-born Off-Off-Broadway dynamo strove to put people of color on the stage in her substantive and empowering material. Appearing in one of her plays was so memorable. [more]
With New York City theater in limbo for the foreseeable future, now seems the time to acknowledge the outstanding presentations of this COVID-19 era. [more]
“Romeo and Juliet” at this unique theater was the first Broadway show I saw. Rex Harrison, George C. Scott and Brian Bedford were also memorable there. [more]
This 1980’s obscure and brief-running dark work is my favorite play. I later met the author’s wife, which inspired Rupert Pupkin-style delusions.
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Here are accounts of productions I attended just before live performances traumatically ceased in NYC due to COVID-19; one review was not published before. [more]
There are happy and distracting memories to ponder while the arts and life are in limbo due to COVID-19. Lauren Bacall also appears in this recollection. [more]
As a seasoned New York theatergoer, I experienced her immense talents many times and today is cause to recall a few of her unheralded performances. [more]
Elaine Stritch and I were among the many stars and strivers whom this preeminent and gracious NYC photographer vividly rendered by her profound portraits. [more]
The late NYC performer’s 60th birthday was commemorated by a lovely concert at The Duplex with the proceeds benefitting Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. [more]
The life of the prolific theater producer whose career began in the 1940’s is chronicled in this eventful and entertaining show business documentary.
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Searching Facebook recently, I discovered that a brilliant, colorful and unsung creative figure I encountered in my youth, died earlier this year. [more]
Admirers of the legendary performer should be enthralled by this quite probably definitive chronicle of her life and career that’s written with zest.
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Today is the centennial of that irascible and preeminent American film critic and I offer my thoughts and reminiscences upon this significant occasion. [more]
The death of a long inactive performer with a fine career during Broadway’s Golden Age understandably went unnoticed. He was my neighbor in the 1980’s. [more]
